ECU approves new Board of Visitors members

East Carolina University Board of Trustees approved nine new members of the Board of Visitors Friday (May 7, 2004). The Board of Visitors, which has 50 members, serves as an advocacy group for the university in the community and throughout local and state government.

Those appointed to serve a four-year term through 2008 are: Marvin Blount III, of Greenville; Michael F. Bumpass of Greensboro; Jim Creech of Greenville; Carl W. Davis, Jr., of Raleigh; Christopher J. Gauland, of Greenville; John R. Grinnell, Jr., of Chapel Hill; Mary Plybon, of Greensboro; and Johnnie M. Robbins, Jr., of Manteo.

Benjamin A. Parrott of Greenville was appointed to serve a three-year term through 2007. All of the visitors appointed Friday are ECU alumni.

Board of Visitors officers reelected for the 2004-05 term are: Chair Joel K. Butler of Greenville; Vice Chair Doug Byrd of Raleigh; Secretary E.A. (Tod) Thorne of Charlotte.

In other Board of Trustees business, Student Government Association President Shannon O’Donnell was sworn in as an ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees. O’Donnell replaces past president Ian Bear.

The board approved a change in the board’s bylaws that requires members to be physically present in order to be counted as present at a meeting. The amendment was suggested after an examination of the attendance policies of the UNC Board of Governors and all 16 universities in the UNC system. While the universities do not have a standard, the Board of Governors bylaws state that all members must be physically present to be included as in attendance for a full board meeting. For committee meetings, members can participate via conference call and be counted as present.